Transparency News, 8/19/20
Wednesdy
August 19, 2020
August 19, 2020
state & local news stories
For a list of (and links to) today's General Assembly committee meetings, click here: https://lis.virginia.gov/cgi-bin/legp604.exe?202+oth+MTG
Among the bills filed already (with more coming down the pike):
HB 5048 - Sickles
Requires the Department of Health to make information about outbreaks of communicable diseases of public health threat at any medical care facility, residential or day program, service or facility licensed or operated by any agency of the Commonwealth, school, or summer camp currently required to report an outbreak of a communicable disease to the Department available to the public on a website maintained by the Department.
SB 5105 - Suetterlein
Requires the Department of Health to make available to the public on a website maintained by the Department information regarding outbreaks of any communicable disease required by the Board of Health to be reported at nursing homes in the Commonwealth.
The Democrat-controlled chambers will move ahead with their own rules of engagement, teeing up the potential for confrontation down the line. The Senate will kick off committee hearings Wednesday, which will be livestreamed. The public is asked to register in advance to comment on legislation. The House, meanwhile, will convene Wednesday to move forward with procedural readings of several House proposals to allow the body and its committees to meet virtually. For example, current House rules say that a committee can’t vote on legislation without a sufficient number of lawmakers physically present. Filler-Corn said the rule change will allow for committees to take up legislation through online gatherings. The House’s timeline would allow the chamber to begin committee meetings on pending legislation starting on Monday. House Minority Leader Todd Gilbert, R-Shenandoah, vocally opposed the online format. He said his caucus is consulting with lawyers about the permissibility of doing formal legislative business online and weighing legal action.
Richmond Times-Dispatch
State lawmakers returned to Richmond on Tuesday for a special session on the budget, COVID-19 and police reform. Before taking up legislation, they spent the day debating whether to meet virtually or in-person during the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. Democrats in the House of Delegates tried twice to pass a rules change allowing them to meet virtually moving forward. Republicans blocked both votes, saying they feel meetings can be done safely in person. The House met Tuesday on the floor of VCU’s Siegel Center arena, sitting at desks at least six feet apart. Republicans were able to block the rules change because a vote on the same day it was introduced requires a two-thirds majority to approve. After five days it will only require a simple majority, which Democrats have. As for the other chamber, Senators will continue to meet in person. The public can register online to speak by phone or video conference for senate hearings.
VPM
Among the bills filed already (with more coming down the pike):
HB 5048 - Sickles
Requires the Department of Health to make information about outbreaks of communicable diseases of public health threat at any medical care facility, residential or day program, service or facility licensed or operated by any agency of the Commonwealth, school, or summer camp currently required to report an outbreak of a communicable disease to the Department available to the public on a website maintained by the Department.
SB 5105 - Suetterlein
Requires the Department of Health to make available to the public on a website maintained by the Department information regarding outbreaks of any communicable disease required by the Board of Health to be reported at nursing homes in the Commonwealth.
The Democrat-controlled chambers will move ahead with their own rules of engagement, teeing up the potential for confrontation down the line. The Senate will kick off committee hearings Wednesday, which will be livestreamed. The public is asked to register in advance to comment on legislation. The House, meanwhile, will convene Wednesday to move forward with procedural readings of several House proposals to allow the body and its committees to meet virtually. For example, current House rules say that a committee can’t vote on legislation without a sufficient number of lawmakers physically present. Filler-Corn said the rule change will allow for committees to take up legislation through online gatherings. The House’s timeline would allow the chamber to begin committee meetings on pending legislation starting on Monday. House Minority Leader Todd Gilbert, R-Shenandoah, vocally opposed the online format. He said his caucus is consulting with lawyers about the permissibility of doing formal legislative business online and weighing legal action.
Richmond Times-Dispatch
State lawmakers returned to Richmond on Tuesday for a special session on the budget, COVID-19 and police reform. Before taking up legislation, they spent the day debating whether to meet virtually or in-person during the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. Democrats in the House of Delegates tried twice to pass a rules change allowing them to meet virtually moving forward. Republicans blocked both votes, saying they feel meetings can be done safely in person. The House met Tuesday on the floor of VCU’s Siegel Center arena, sitting at desks at least six feet apart. Republicans were able to block the rules change because a vote on the same day it was introduced requires a two-thirds majority to approve. After five days it will only require a simple majority, which Democrats have. As for the other chamber, Senators will continue to meet in person. The public can register online to speak by phone or video conference for senate hearings.
VPM
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